Before the Birth of One of Her Children

I think this poem by Anne Bradstreet is about her preparing for the possible death that could happen during labor.  Especially because this was written so long ago, in those days it was more common for there to be complications with women and pregnancy and women giving birth.  When I read the poem the first time around I thought that she was using death to represent the stereotype of women and how maybe her friendships were being taken away from her in a sense once she had a baby.  Such as in the line

 "No ties so strong, no friends so dear and sweet, But with death's parting blow is sure to meet." 

 Then she continues to say

 "How soon, my dear, death may my steps attend, How soon't may be thy lot to lose thy friend",

but after rereading it a few times I realized the word "death" was not representing anything.

I think this poem was meant to be written to her lover and preparing him for her death and how to deal with it while still successfully taking care of their newborn child.  The line I really liked was the following:

"Yet love thy dead, who long lay in thine arms:  

And when thy lost shall be repaid with gains 

Look to my little babes my dear remains".

This was my favorite few lines because I think she is telling her husband to look to their newborn child for happiness and when he looks at the baby to be reminded of her and all their memories and love they shared together.  Bradstreet said "thy lost shall be repaid with gains" meaning he may have lost her but their newborn child will bring him even more joy and happiness now even after she is gone.  

In addition to this, the reason I think she is speaking to her husband is because of the line 

"These farewell lines to recommend to thee,

That when the knot's untied that made us one, 

I may seem thine, who in effect am none."

I think she is insinuating in these lines of their marriage when she says the "knot untied that made us one", because after her death their knot of love will be untied because she will be gone.  It is a sad poem but realistic and heart warming that she wrote the poem and felt content with passing on as long as her baby and husband are happy.